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Cristoph has recently unleashed his full debut artist album – Life Through a Different Lens, which has been garnering some rave reviews! At the risk of creating something spectacular, he set upon a vision to release a debut artist album, an album that truly captures the essence of ‘dusk till dawn clubbing’. The ‘Consequence of Society’ label boss recently sat down with us for his honest take on Life Through A Different Lens and the entire tentative creative process that he implemented to churn out the 18 tracks on the album. He also opens up on his re-union with Jem Cooke after the chartbusting ‘Breathe’ (with Camelphat), the factors behind the origin of ‘Consequence of Society’ as a label, his fellow collaborators on the album, his long-time friend & accomplice Eric Prydz dropping ‘Call on Me’ after 21 years, and much more! The Interview Full debut artist album, finally, Chris! And no less than 18 tracks! I remember being a fan myself for close to a decade now. Hence, the curiosity arises about this significantly long wait time for fans like us for the debut album. Was it more of the timing, perfection or self-satisfaction about the end result that kept us (fans) waiting so long? To be honest, it’s not what I would call a studio album. It’s a conceptual album project. If I’d be writing a studio album, I’m going to be writing more cinematic records. A conceptual approach is how I always pictured an album. But this showcases a lot of different forms of music that I am into, that I write, more to accompany the supplement of open to close tour. It is to give people an idea of what happens in an open to close set. 18 records I wrote across so many sub-genres to express the music that I play in these sets. It is a very challenging project because I got to take myself out of the normal way I produce. That’s why I decided on the name – ‘Life Through a Different Lens’. I had designed a set in my mind first, and wrote each track accordingly. DJs often play in key, so every track had to fit in with the next one, which already condenses down how many records you can write. And as I said, it is a really interesting project. I felt that the open to close needed something more on what we had done on the last one, “how do I sell the same product again?“. You had to get people to buy into it, you expand out. If you look at modifications on a call or a telephone, there is something new each time it comes out. It is more about moving with the times, you cannot stay still, so that was the idea behind it. I just got into the groove and couldn’t stop writing and I was like, “Naah, I need to put in one more and another one in“, but then I ended up concluding 18 is enough! There’s a mixed version coming with it as well which can be listened to in your car, in the gym, in your pre-party, after-party to get people up for the night. That’s obviously how I prefer listening to them. Obviously, you want those individual records to come out as you need them for Spotify, you need them on Beatport, you want DJs to explore. I prefer letting people listen to the mix as well, so that they are more likely to listen to an open to close set. Right from ‘You Know What You Mean’ in 2013, which is your first EP if not mistaken, to the 2025 ‘Life Through a Different Lens’, how do you think the Cristoph sound has evolved over these years? So, I’ve always looked at it, strangely enough, as a business plan. I always knew where I wanted to get to. I have always been the more melodic, progressive sound. I do like influences from the housy (house) world, from the techno world, not obviously the kind of techno that’s out there, just what I personally like. That’s what the name of my label, ‘Consequence of Society‘, actually represents. And, it is the ‘consequence of the society‘ that I have been brought up in, which is why I like the music that I do. The ‘proggy’ (progressive) and melodic sound has always been quite niche to get into. You write these quality melodies and so, thought how could I best get into that world. I can write some of more broader sound, like a ‘housier’ (house) sound where it’s got a wider audience and start trying, get a fanbase, and then start taking them shift by shift into the world where I want to go into. So, if you listen, it has more of a melodic stab in there, have more of a rolling vocal which I still try and incorporate in most of my records to date. You can link both, that was the original plan: to get people to listen and slowly take them over rather than trying to start over as a completely new entity. Labels just wouldn’t take that risk. It was quite difficult when I was putting music out as CJ Costigan. It did not get any kind of major label to kind of listen to more melodic, so I needed to build my name as an artist for those labels to actually sit up and take note of what I was doing. I am still trying to do that obviously and still getting more DJs to support the music, but now I am aware I have to keep building up on the fanbase. Make it more of a community rather than just a set of fans who like the music. I want people to engage with each other and align. For example, someone in India probably can speak to someone in the US about ‘how was Chris last night?. Yes, he is going to come to India next week.’ It would be amazing if I could build up a community where we could have people from all over the world coming together and make friendships and relationships that could last a lifetime, could bond over music that I have made! Were 18 tracks always part of the initial plan when you decided to release the album? Or was it less initially and you decided probably fans like us deserve a bit more (after all that wait for a full-length album) and probably add a few more tracks as a bonus? I think I had agreed internally with myself that I’d make it 12 tracks, just over an hour-long mix, like a showcase, maybe 3 tracks from each section. Then I just started getting into it and you start looking at it from a more DJ perspective. You think, “how would I DJ that“, and I would put in a big vocal. I would set it back down and take it in a direction which is more melodic. Then I would play a big, ‘hands in the air’ type record. Before I realized, I was 18 tracks deep and I was like ‘right, it got to end at some point’! ‘Paradise’ with Jem Cooke sounds fabulous! It is a universal testimonial that ‘Breathe’, your collab with Camelphat & Jem Cooke went on to become in the dance music world. Was there anything specific you had in mind, given the success of ‘Breathe’, when chalking out ‘Paradise’ with Jem this time? Funny enough, it has kind of taken the same route as ‘Breathe’. ‘Breathe’ started completely different to what it became, and ‘Paradise’ has as well. ‘Breathe‘ was an edit of another track, and then what I thought was, let’s see what Jem could put on this. ‘Paradise’ was an edit of ‘Diamond Life’ which I made and played at Creamfields, years ago. I took the ‘Diamond Life’ vocal off, Jem sang on it, I kept tuning the track until it was set to complement Jem’s vocal more. I think Jem’s vocal here is up there with ‘Breathe’, the way she has delivered it. ‘Paradise’ has such a great hook, the same as ‘Breathe’ had. It sticks in your mind, I can’t let my side of production let the vocal down. You always go back to those arpeggiating basslines. Hopefully, people can connect to that record. It is one of those tracks where you can sit out in the sun, looking up at the sunset, looking out at the sea. How was the experience and subsequent creative process in collaborating with the likes of fellow producers (who are currently making waves as well) like Weska, Harry Diamond etc. on the album? These are guys I speak to on a daily basis, we sit and talk about life in general. We sit and have a laugh in general about memes, GIFs, etc. It is a great friendship amongst us all. Same like the fanbase, I want to create a family, a community where I use DJs to basically build a record label. These are producers I got a great respect for who I love involving in the idea I am trying build with the label. You see the likes of Afterlife, Drumcode for years, I feel they have done exactly the same. They have created this type of family where the line-ups are pretty much the same, but people turn up to see what they are doing. It is a big team effort helping them build. I want to keep working with them in the future to put good music out on the label. These are the guys I want to help build the brand. Tracing your roots a bit, did it always help for the Chris we know today, belonging to a family of DJs and musicians? I mean as far as I know your father was a DJ (who always encouraged you to use a microphone, if I recall appropriately), and so was your brother. I also recall your mother & sister having a huge musical inclination as well. Growing up amongst it all was quite fascinating. They could all be stacked in different rooms with a completely different sound in each room. You take inspiration from all of them as much as you can. My dad could have something on in his car, my mom could have something else in hers. My brother could have house music in his, my sister could have The Beatles or something in hers. You take influence and inspiration from every part of this variety. It helped broaden my vision. If you do narrow down to a certain type of music, you just stick to that. I just do not want to be stuck to a tiny little sound, I want to be someone who plays across a wide spectrum, pulls in different influences. My family also helped expand my knowledge of what’s what and who’s who in the industry. I get great joy in listening to different types of music as well, and my family are exactly the same! Anything specific post ‘Life Through a Different Lens’ you are excited about and looking ahead to in 2025 (any particular tour, gig, vacation, etc)? I am particularly looking forward to the Open to Close tour. These long sets really test you, I am going into 6-7 weeks of it. Some of these sets are going to be between 7 or 10 hours long, it is not even 4 or 5. They are going to be really long. I have been trying to get my mind equipped with my body, back in the gym & training, dieting well so that I am in the zone. I had a few gigs leading up to it, which I cannot wait to do. But I am fully prepared to do these open to close sets. Going on from that, I am having many calls about different markets who have started to show interest. I have got Japan coming where I have never been before, so that would be really exciting if we were able to finalize. Same goes for South Africa. The opportunity to get to see these places in the world, not just about DJing, grateful I am for being able to do this for a job, I cannot even put it in words. Traveling to a country, you do not get to see everything, but in time we will. For example, when I was in India, the guys hosting me wished I could have stayed back longer; they could have taken me to see the Taj Mahal! At some point, you’ve got to take these blessings. With music, there are some remixes, those edits that I have been doing, people getting wind of them, I want to put them across as new releases. The whole ‘Life Through a Different Lens’, it has given me inspiration about different things to write. That’s what the actual doing the album has done. It gives something like an inside spark to write down new music that you feel rather than what you think people want. That is where you start writing the best music. If you just go into the studio and write from the heart and write what you’re feeling at that moment of time, then you could do some of your best work. Hopefully, I get back down to Australia this year, I get back to India at the end of this year, there were talks about that. It just looks like a busy year and that’s exactly what I want to be. I am probably the worst person if I am not busy because I get so annoyed, I get bad with my team, I get really grumpy with everyone around. I am just somebody who thinks if I am not working and somebody else has taken that work, I am probably not as productive as I want to be to reach the goals which I promised my dad & my brother and stuff like that. That is an internal struggle, an internal battle that I have with myself. That is just the nature of the beast, I guess! BONUS QUESTION : And lastly, I definitely needed to ask you this! Your honest reaction to Eric Prydz, with whom you have a close & long-time friendship, dropping ‘Call on Me’ (the track that initially put him to global superstardom) after 21 years! I am so happy! I spoke to Michael (Eric’s manager) the day after it was dropped. I got a text message from a friend when I was in London stating Eric had played ‘Call on Me’. It is a great record which kind of started off his career, so many people want to hear it. The fact that he has played it for the first time after 21 years, brilliant! Why not give the fans what they want? At the end of the day, we would be absolutely nothing without the fans. So why not give them what they want after some point? You do not have to do it week in and week out! It’s great, it’s put a smile on everybody’s face, I saw it everywhere, it went viral! It has acted as a great sort of promotional tool for him, a great move! People were asking me if I knew he was going to do it. So many people are smiling about it, for you to ask me about it, just shows what it means to you as fans! The post [INTERVIEW] Cristoph Opens Up About New Album, His Label & More appeared first on EDMTunes.

South African-born producer and DJ Jono Stephenson has been steadily making a name for himself in the melodic house and techno scene. His passion for music was ignited early on, influenced by his mother—a singer and multi-instrumentalist—which laid the foundation for his emotive and polished sound. His breakout single, ‘I Can’t Save You’, released in October 2023, surpassed 1.5 million streams within its first year, marking a major milestone in his rising career. Beyond the studio, Jono Stephenson is a creative force across multiple ventures. He is the founder of his own record label, event brand, and clothing line, each reflecting his sharp attention to detail and deep commitment to building immersive artistic experiences. Whether he’s behind the decks or designing a drop, his signature vision comes through with clarity and emotion. His latest release, ‘Memory Leak’, dropped on April 11 via Interstellar Recordings, is a collaboration with fellow artists Henri Bergmann and Layla Benitez. The track is a cinematic, club-ready piece that fuses shimmering synths, steely percussion, and rich emotional depth—highlighting each artist’s unique strengths while crafting a cohesive and innovative sound.​ Timed alongside key performances—Henri and Layla’s b2b sets at Space Miami on March 29 and Coachella’s Do Lab on April 11, followed by the trio’s joint appearance at Floyd Miami—‘Memory Leak’ arrives at a perfect moment in their rising trajectories.​ Jono Stephenson shared insights into the story behind ‘Memory Leak,’ the evolving landscape of melodic house, and what lies ahead in his musical journey. Jono, congrats on the upcoming release of “Memory Leak.” How did the idea for this collaboration come about? Did you, Henri, or Layla initiate it—or was it more of a spontaneous creative spark? Jono: Henri, Layla and I have been friends for some time now and it just felt natural that we made a collaboration together. We’ve always spoken of doing one and felt strongly about ‘Memory Leak’ and that it was the right amalgamation of not only our sounds but emotion. From a production standpoint, how did you divide the creative responsibilities among the three of you? Were there moments where your ideas challenged or expanded the vision for the track? Jono: Absolutely, we went through a few versions together and then made some big changes which we believe elevated the track. With all three of you pushing boundaries in the melodic house scene, where do you personally see the genre heading next—and how does “Memory Leak” fit into that trajectory? Jono: I personally see the genre heading in a more tech-oriented direction with a focus on groove instead of long-form melodies—although big melodic tracks will always be special if done correctly. Beyond “Memory Leak,” what’s next for you musically? Are there any upcoming solo releases or collaborations we should be watching for? Jono: Yeah, so I have another collaboration with Layla and Henri. 19:26 and I have also been working on a collaboration for a while now and we’re just finalizing certain things. Otherwise I have a release on Korolova’s ‘Captive Soul’ and a few other things which I’m keeping a secret for now! You’ve released on labels like Purified and now Interstellar. Is there a dream label or artist collaboration you’re hoping to pursue in the near future? Jono: A huge part of why I started music was because of Tale of Us and Afterlife, so I’ve always wanted to do something there. And collaboration-wise, my dream collab would be with Tiësto, Cassian or Anyma. You’ve been building momentum steadily over the past few years. What’s been the most rewarding part of your journey so far as an artist? Jono: Connecting with people’s hearts and minds through music and taking them to another dimension for an hour or two—away from their problems and struggles in life. What keeps you grounded amidst the constant travel and studio time? Any rituals or routines that help you stay creatively inspired? Jono: Yeah, I pray, eat as healthy as I can, and spend time with friends talking about things other than music and the industry etc. Lastly, when you imagine someone listening to “Memory Leak”—maybe in a club, in headphones, or under the stars—what do you hope they feel? Jono: A sense of overcoming pain and then feeling hope for a brighter tomorrow. 🎧 Listen to: Jono Stephenson, Henri Bergmann & Layla Benitez – ‘Memory Leak’ The post [INTERVIEW] Jono Stephenson Talks ‘Memory Leak’ with Henri Bergmann & Layla Benitez appeared first on EDMTunes.

In one of mid-April 2025’s music industry hires, promotions, and exits, Tom Allen (pictured) became Downtown Music’s CTO on a permanent basis. Photo Credit: Downtown Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of April 16th, 2025. If you have a job shuffle to share, we’re all ears. Send us a note to [email protected]. If you’d like to post a job on our Job Board, just send us a request to [email protected]. And, keep track of all the latest music industry hires here. Beatchain AI-powered A&R platform Beatchain has brought on three regional brand ambassadors. New York-based A&R vet Holly Hutchison will oversee North America, Mumbai-based entrepreneur Umesh Luthria will focus on Asia, and Johannesburg-based radio presenter Nick Hamman will zero in on Africa. Downtown Music Downtown interim CTO Tom Allen has assumed the role on a permanent basis. Additionally, the company’s Curve Royalty subsidiary has elevated six-year team member Richard Leach to president. Arista Records Arista president David Massey is retiring at June’s end. Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music has bumped more than five-year higher-up Kevin Foo to MD for Southeast Asia. Based in Singapore, the exec will oversee operations in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. NSAI The Nashville Songwriters Association International has added three first-term board members (Deric Ruttan, Lydia Vaughan, and Dan Wilson) and welcomed back Jimmy Yeary to a new term. Music Media Collective The MMC has announced its founding and advisory boards; the non-profit also intends to add different board members yet “in the coming weeks.” The founding board consists of Mixtape Media founder Maggie Poulos, Jensen Communications publicity SVP Leo Lavoro, journalist John Morrison, musician Bo Rains, Asses in Seats co-host Mitch Beer, and WXPN vet Rich McKie. The advisory board, for its part, features NIVF president Laura Wilson, Clio Music executive director Michael Kauffman, CashorTrade PR head Taylor Esche, Fan Alliance president Donald Cohen, rapper Frzy, Musicopia’s Mark Schulz, and Azimuth.ai founder Barry Griffin. SonoSuite Henriette Heimdal, formerly a Group Speed business-development exec, has signed on as SonoSuite’s chief commercial officer. Warner Music Group Activision Blizzard CFO Armin Zerza will start in the same role (as well as EVP) at WMG on May 5th. Sony Music Publishing UK SMP UK has elevated nine-year team member Sarah Gabrielli-Cohen to A&R head. ASM Global Legends’ ASM has boosted programming director James Harrison to programming VP for Europe and the UK. UTA CAA and WME vets Zach Iser and Caroline Yim have joined United Talent Agency as music agents and partners. Empire Publishing Producer Illmind is now A&R SVP at Empire Publishing, where five-year exec Al McLean has been upped to global-creative EVP. IBMA The International Bluegrass Music Association has added four new board members (Kristin Scott Benson, Missy Raines, Helen Ludé, and Syntax Creative CEO Timothy Trudeau), and Ariel Rosemberg has been reelected to a fresh term. Island Records Island Records has promoted Marshall Nolan (who joined UMG in 2022) to EVP and head of commercial strategy. View the full article

Believe founder Denis Ladegaillerie, whose digital music company has taken another step towards privatization. Photo Credit: Believe Is Believe officially going private? It looks that way, as founder Denis Ladegaillerie and investment firms EQT and TCV have moved to acquire the company’s remaining public shares. Through a consortium called Upbeat Bidco, those parties say they own nearly 97% of Believe’s share capital and possess over 95% of voting rights. Long story short, the sizable interest resulted from a 2024 tender offer that Upbeat Bidco spearheaded despite strong indications of a Believe takeover attempt from Warner Music Group. Ultimately, Warner Music opted against submitting a formal bid for Believe, which IPO’d in 2021 and trades as BLV on the Euronext Paris. Despite its above-noted BLV holding, however, Upbeat Bidco didn’t convince every Believe investor to sell their shares last year. As things stand, 3.35% of Believe share capital belongs to third parties. Enter Upbeat Bidco’s newly disclosed privatization push, which is offering the business’s lingering stakeholders €15.30 per share. This represents a modest premium from BLV’s recent prices and from the original €15-per-share tender offer, the consortium pointed out in more words. BLV was hovering right around the €15.30 mark at the time of writing. According to the consortium, an “ad-hoc committee” (consisting of the three Believe board members without ties to Upbeat Bidco) unanimously endorsed the privatization proposal. Pending approval from France’s Financial Markets Authority, the offer is expected to run through Q2 2025, per the official announcement. Notably, the consortium seems to have a plan in place should any shareholders resist selling. Once the offer period concludes, the relevant Believe stockowners will “receive a compensation equal to the Offer price” as part of a “squeeze-out,” Upbeat Bidco emphasized. In other words, it appears that Believe’s run as a publicly traded company is coming to an end. Though time will tell exactly what the point means from a strategic and operational perspective, we aren’t without insight here. During 2024’s latter half, an acquisition-minded Believe scooped up 25% of Romania’s Global Records and the remaining 40% of Turkey’s Doğan Music. Additionally, Believe, which posted solid 2024 financials, scored a “landmark” distribution deal with Japan’s Teichiku Entertainment three weeks ago. All that said, recent months haven’t lacked less-than-positive developments for Believe, which, along with its TuneCore subsidiary, is facing a $500 million lawsuit submitted by Universal Music Group. The high-stakes infringement battle is still in its early stages; Believe’s official answer and an initial pretrial conference are now slated for June 4th and 18th, respectively. View the full article

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / CC by 2.0 Reggie Watts attended the first week of Coachella this year, taking to social media to share his thoughts. They might explain why Coachella has struggled to sell-out both weekends for several years now. With the first weekend of Coachella behind us and the second week upcoming, many live music fans have taken to social media to criticize the festival. Attendees highlighted the poor food experiences, with one couple paying over $100 for a couple tacos, nachos, and two lemonades. Reggie Watts articulated his problems with the festival on Instagram. “I’ve been to Coachella a handful of times now, and while the scale is impressive, the soul feels increasingly absent,” Watts begins. “The experience is confusing and impersonal—checkpoint after checkpoint, wristband logic puzzles, security everywhere. Most people on the grounds move like walking credit cards, pinging from one branded experience to the next.” “There’s no real sense of love coming from the festival toward the people. No care. No reverence. Just vibes curated for influencer culture. You’ll catch glimpses of something real—an artist pouring their heart out on stage, a sudden wave of connection—but those moments are fleeting. They’re easily lost in the chaos, buried beneath logistics, the brand activations, the overpriced everything.” “And then there’s the waste—plastic, garbage, trash in the desert wind. Leaving is especially grim. You’re navigating dust storms, people hustling to buy your wristband, and a general sense that it was all a transaction, not a shared experience. If you’ve got asthma or care about your breathing, bring a mask. Seriously.” “There are better ways to do this. There are independent festivals run by people who give a shit—about the music, the artists, the fans, the land. They treat performers with care and build environments where real community can take root. That’s where the magic is. That’s what’s worth supporting.” In recent years, Coachella has experienced a decline in ticket sales and has failed to sell out consistently. That marks a significant shift from its historical status as a highly sought-after live event. Artist headliners can only do so much to draw in the crowds—rising ticket prices, the ongoing cost of living crisis, and a shift in audience and cultural trends can explain those low ticket sales. As Reggie points out, increased competition from other festivals that aren’t as large as Coachella but feature attractive line-ups and lower costs attract music fans. Stagecoach has had no trouble selling out over the last few years as country music goes through a renaissance among Gen Z. Coachella’s disastrous artist sets have not inspired confidence for those forking out thousands to see artists live. Grimes apologized publicly for her glitch-filled set in 2024, while Nigerian singer Rema arrived 30 minutes late to his set this year. The performance involved lip-syncing, water breaks, abrupt starts and restarts of songs. Fans noted his apparent annoyance at the set, with much speculation about issues backstage affecting his performance. For a live music festival about promoting artists in the moment, Coachella’s share of disaster sets has left fewer people willing to fork out thousands of dollars to travel to the money sink in the California desert. View the full article

Photo Credit: Agustin Flores After sharing permits and stating the festival would go forward, Fyre Festival 2 organizers have postponed the festival and offered refunds for ticket buyers. A message sent to ticket holders this afternoon confirmed Fyre Festival 2 will not go forward as planned in Mexico from May 30 to June 2. “The event has been postponed and a new date will be announced. We have issued you a refund. Once the new date is announced, at that time, you can repurchase if it works for your schedule,” the message to ticket holders reads. Representatives for Fyre Festival have not responded to comments or questions about the refund. As late as last week, Billy McFarland shared what he considered evidence of the festival happening on social media. That evidence was permits at nightclubs in Playa del Carmen to play music in a club for 250 people—not a live music bash as was being touted. Tickets for Fyre Festival 2 started at $1,400 for general admission. Tickets were available for as much as $1.1 million with destination festival package promises including live sessions with MMA stars. Organizers said that package sold out—which was intended for eight people with amenities including a stateroom yacht and private chauffeur service. The sequel to the disastrous ‘luxury’ Fyre Festival in 2017 appears to be ending with a whimper instead of another event to fuel documentaries on Netflix and Hulu. The original festival was promoted by celebrities on social media and promised gourmet food, luxury villas, and top musical acts. Attendees paid thousands of dollars for tickets, expecting an exclusive, high-end experience. The lack of delivery bordered on false advertisement, with Billy McFarland arrested and charged with wire fraud and other financial crimes related to the festival. In October 2018, he was sentenced to six years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $26 million. McFarland pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud, having defrauded both investors and ticket holders. He was released after less than four years—with an order to pay the original victims restitution. Shortly afterward, he began planning Fyre Festival 2. View the full article

The Fyre Fest 2 saga continues with a turn of events no one, and I mean no one expected. Billy McFarland’s Fyre Fest 2 sent out an email to ticket holders explaining that they had decided to delay the event and change the location. This was due to multiple arguments with local officials. The Fyre Fest 2 Timeline At first, the event was allegedly happening at Isla Mujeres May 30 to June 1. However, after an official statement from the Isla Mujeres social media accounts, the event moved to Playa del Carmen. According to the owner, Billy Mcfarland, the organization had all the permits necessary to run the event. Ticket sales had started without a clear lineup or any official venues. The same thing happened at Playa del Carmen, when the official local tourism and security accounts released statements. In them, they both denied any involvement with Fyre Fest. They have made it clear that there were no permits to hold an event of that magnitude. The most recent email states that after permits and press conferences happened, the government backstabbed Fyre Fest. We know officials have claimed nothing was happening in Playa del Carmen. Nonetheless, Billy stays firm, saying that the event is still happening, while they search for new locations. However, there are no refund policies or new dates available. It seems like this won’t be the last we hear from Fyre Fest 2 this year. The post Fyre Fest 2 Postponed Indefinitely After Disputes With Local Officials appeared first on EDMTunes.

Photo Credit: Deezer Deezer says over 20,000 fully AI-generated tracks are uploaded to its platform daily, or around 18% of all uploaded content. Global streaming platform Deezer has reported that over 20,000 entirely AI-generated tracks — or around 18% of all tracks — are uploaded to its platform daily. That’s an increase from the previously reported 10% in January, when Deezer launched its cutting-edge AI music detection tool. The company’s AI music detection tool sets an industry standard — but the onslaught of AI-generated music is unrelenting. “AI generated content continues to flood streaming platforms like Deezer, and we see no sign of it slowing down,” said Aurelien Herault, Chief Innovation Officer, Deezer. “Generative AI has the potential to positively impact music creation and consumption, but we need to approach the development with responsibility and care in order to safeguard the rights and revenues of artists and songwriters, while maintaining transparency for the fans. Thanks to our cutting-edge tool, we are already removing fully AI generated content from the algorithmic recommendations.” Deezer’s AI music detection tool is able to detect 100% AI-generated music from “the most prolific generative models — such as Suno and Udio,” with the possibility to add detection capabilities for “practically any other” tool, provided there’s access to relevant data examples. Deezer has also made significant progress in creating a system with “increased generalizability,” to detect AI-generated content without a specific dataset to train on. Still, the reported increase in AI-generated content comes at a time of growing concerns about AI companies training their models with copyrighted material. Platforms like Suno and Udio have been sued by the major labels, but those lawsuits are still pending. Moreover, concerns are ever-growing of governments potentially diminishing copyright laws to facilitate AI development. Deezer has reiterated its commitment to protecting the rights of artists and creators, and remains the only streaming platform to sign the global statement on AI training. View the full article

Photo Credit: Alexander Shatov Spotify is back up after a widespread outage that left many users suspecting hackers were to blame. But the company says that’s “completely inaccurate.” Tens of thousands of Spotify users reported problems with the popular music streaming service on Wednesday during a widespread outage. But Spotify was back up and running a few hours later. “All clear — thanks for your patience,” said Spotify on social media, around noon ET. “Get in touch with @SpotifyCares if you still need help,” the company added, pointing to its support account. Users widely had difficulty loading the app and the desktop site earlier in the day, or playing songs, as well as using the platform’s search function. Spotify also noted some users had trouble accessing its support site. Disgruntled users took to social media to vent their frustration at the interrupted service. “Messing with my morning, man!!” wrote one user. Some users said they were still able to listen to music, but experienced issues during playback. Other users said they couldn’t listen to any music, or get the service to load on either the mobile app or the desktop site. The outage seemed to have begun around 6:20 AM ET, with outage reports appearing to peak after 9:30 AM ET, with around 48,000 people reporting issues. Spotify said it was “back up and functioning normally” by 11:45 AM ET. In the early afternoon, around 1,500 outage reports remained. Users across the US and parts of Europe appear to have been affected. While Spotify did not specify what might have caused the outage, the company was quick to stamp out rumors that a security hack was to blame. The Stockholm-based streamer says reports of that nature are “completely inaccurate.” Spotify currently serves up music and podcasts to more than 675 million users worldwide, including 263 million subscribers across over 180 markets. View the full article

Photo Credit: Lorenzo Spoleti How accurately can humans identify music created using artificial intelligence? A new study conducted by MIT Technology Review reveals humans struggle against diffusion-created AI music from platforms like Suno and Udio. Diffusion models for creating music don’t compose songs the same way a human might, by starting with chords and adding vocals and drums. Instead, these models generate the noise of music all at once—visualized by a waveform. With hundreds of millions of waveforms from human generated songs, AI platforms like Suno and Udio can create a model capable of generating AI music. “A model is fed millions of clips of existing songs, each labeled with a description. To generate a new song, it starts with pure random noise and works backward to create a new waveform. The path it takes to do so is shaped by the words someone puts into the prompt,” O’Donnell writes of these AI services. That backwards generation is the exact opposite of how humans write music—but the human ear struggles to differentiate from the two. While major labels are suing both Suno and Udio for training their models on copyrighted music at an “unimaginable scale,” these companies argue that training models are fair use. Udio says it has model filters in place to prevent the model from “reproducing copyrighted works or artists’ voices.” O’Donnell spent a few days playing around with Udio’s model for a test. Generating 30-second samples, he created tracks in 12 genres of music and asked the newsroom team at MIT Technology Review to identify the songs made by AI amid other songs created by people. “The average score was 46%,” O’Donnell reveals. “And for a few genres, especially instrumental ones, listeners were wrong more often than not.” O’Donnell says when he watched people take the test, he noticed that qualities they confidently flagged as AI compositions—fake-sounding instruments, weird lyrics—were not always right. “Predictably, people did worse in genres they were less familiar with; some did okay on country or soul, but many stood no chance against jazz, classical piano, or pop. Beaty, the creativity researcher scored 66%, while Brandt, the composer, scored 50%.” With just a few text prompts, O’Donnell created music that humans couldn’t pick out of a line-up as AI generated. “A few could have been easily played at a party without raising objections, and I found two I genuinely loved, even as a lifelong musicians and generally picky music person,” he shares. View the full article

Moments after a court ruled to leave in place an injunction blocking NewJeans’ solo career activities, the group appealed to the Seoul High Court. Photo Credit: SBS Radio A Seoul court has upheld an injunction blocking NewJeans members from engaging in professional activities without Ador’s involvement. And right on cue, the group has kicked off a High Court appeal. Both developments came to light in regional reports today. By now, many are familiar with the uglier-than-ever contract dispute between NewJeans and its Hybe-owned agency, Ador. But just to recap – the convoluted showdown has a number of layers – late March saw the aforementioned injunction put an end to NewJeans members’ solo activities. Having rebranded and performed as NJZ for a time, NewJeans was (and remains) specifically barred from pursuing any career moves without Hybe/Ador. Meanwhile, the five-piece act’s separate court challenge to the underlying contract is plodding along. In short, then, the on-hiatus NewJeans’ current options include attempting to overturn the injunction, waiting out the suit challenging the contract (though a win certainly isn’t guaranteed), or reconciling with Hybe/Ador. The latter path is definitely interesting, but the first course of action hasn’t brought about the desired result for NewJeans. As summed up by the Korea Herald, the court today upheld its prior ruling on the injunction. Per the same source, NewJeans members promptly appealed to the Seoul High Court – though it’s unclear how long it’ll be before the legal wheels are in motion there. Closer to the present, evidence suggests that the involved parties are still quite far from an amicable resolution. At the same time, with not-so-subtle press conferences in the rearview, the worst of the confrontation might be over. To be sure, many NewJeans fans appear eager to see the group reunite (or at least stop quarreling) with Hybe/Ador, which, as noted, now has multiple courtroom wins under its belt. Undoubtedly interested in ending the battle, Hybe last week extended an olive branch to NewJeans by vowing to crack down on online harassment targeting the group. Furthermore, NewJeans members are evidently still open to performing (they did so as NJZ before the injunction was handed down) and to making music (they unveiled a new track at the same concert). And returning to their original professional home might be the easiest way to continue earning a living from the efforts. NewJeans’ relationship with ousted Ador CEO Min Hee-jin (who has worked with the group from the outset) is undoubtedly the biggest hangup in this area. Though there are two sides to every story, an initial rift between Min and Hybe management seemingly fueled the wider conflict with NewJeans. Long story short, NewJeans members are adamant that Min should be reinstated, and Hybe has spelled out that the ship sailed a while ago. Among many other things, litigation is ongoing between Hybe and Min. View the full article

Chartmetric trending artist du jour, De La Soul Digital Music News is now expanding its longtime partnership with Chartmetric, the industry’s most respected music intelligence and data platform. Jumping in, DMN readers will soon have access to a constantly-updating track popularity ranking, complete with fast-emerging breakouts. Complementing the ranking will be Chartmetric’s latest data trend analyses, which will include a broad range of genres, artists, and broader worldwide music developments. Everything will be available to Digital Music News readers in a neat dropdown widget, which will complement DMN’s existing industry coverage. The dynamic chart ranking will lean heavily on Spotify Monthly Listeners and Chartmetric’s own scoring methodologies to monitor breakout tracks and artists, 24/7. For those seeking a real time ranking that better reflects trending realities online and off, there isn’t a better barometer of what’s bubbling. For those that want to dive deeper, Chartmetric’s data-focused breakdowns will offer unparalleled examinations of music trends worldwide. That includes featured articles from Chartmetric’s ‘How Music Charts,’ a dedicated editorial column focused on music charts, data, and analytics – with extremely time-sensitive and relevant articles. And that’s in addition to DMN’s non-stop, hard-hitting industry coverage and DMN Pro analyses. “Chartmetric and Digital Music News have been partnering for years with a mission to broaden music industry intelligence,” said Chartmetric President & COO Andreas Katsambas. “Now, we’re taking things a step further.” Meanwhile, Chartmetric is recharting the possibilities in A&R with a recently-released ‘Talent Search Tool’ to power better predictive intelligence. As profiled on DMN, Chartmetric’s Talent Search Tool sifts through data from over 10 million artists, identifying key signals that suggest an artist’s potential for long-term success. Each artist receives a daily score from 1 to 10 across various metrics, making it easier to spot emerging talent worthy of deeper investigation. Just recently, Chartmetric joined forces with DMN to broaden awareness of its data-powered predictive tool. View the full article

Throughout his entire professional music career, and even long before that as a listener and a beginner DJ, Roman Messer has always loved and cherished trance music, and especially uplifting trance if he had to pick his one true love. Being the closest thing in Roman’s book to the elusive label of “true trance” if there is one, uplifting trance and closely related sounds always held a special place in the artist’s heart. But anyone with more than a couple years of listening to the genre under their belt can attest: trends in trance can change faster than seasons do. There is always a exciting new sound to explore for a producer, or an inspiration from outside the genre that results in something fresh and quirky, there’s always room for personal growth as an artist by broadening your production skills, there’s always a song idea coming from a vocalist that would work great as a mellow progressive tune… In other words, it can be rather hard – and, one might argue, even detrimental – to pigeonhole yourself into one particular style or sound throughout your entire career. It is no surprise then, and certainly no crime, that Roman Messer’s four earlier studio albums covered a very wide spectrum of sound that could broadly be described as modern trance music in general and even some things on its fringes. But the time has finally come to pay a proper tribute to the true trance sound that Roman has always loved. ‘For All Time’ , Roman Messer’s brand new fifth studio album, is all about that profound majestic feeling of flight which, arguably, only uplifting trance can give you. What might seem like a career anniversary milestone celebration of some sort – after all, Roman’s brainchild Suanda Music turned 10 years old this year, and his professional career as a producer with signed releases is only about a year older than that – is, in fact, a project that’s been in the making since long before 2023. Long-time followers undoubtedly took note of Roman’s overall focus on uplifting trance lately, and he even reworked some of his biggest progressive anthems into supercharged “Full Fire” versions over the last few years. Glancing at the album’s tracklist, one might notice a couple of tracks that were first presented all the way back in 2020; indeed, every now and then, Roman put a special track or two aside for the uplifting trance album that he had been planning, with work on said album really picking up the pace once the producer fully devoted his studio time to the project. A risky one, perhaps, according to his own admission – after all, the world of trance has plenty of styles and there’s always a chance that listeners might prefer more variety on an LP – but a very deliberate one, as Roman felt he was long overdue to pay tribute to the sound that he loves and share this love with his like-minded followers and proselytize the more sceptical ones. Apart from Roman’s own solo productions, ‘For All Time’ sees a fair share of his collaborations with musicians ranging from Roman’s own all-time trance idols, like Alex M.O.R.P.H., Emma Hewitt, Roxanne Emery and Christina Novelli, to rising stars that he himself helped grow through his own earlier productions and through his label. Vocalists like Cari, Joe Jury and Diandra Faye saw a surge in their own popularity and demand in the trance scene after working with Roman, while artists like Skyvol and NoMosk are among Roman’s favorite producer talents at the moment and are tipped by him to have a very promising future ahead with their excellent sound. Something else that connects Roman’s album to the surrounding trance scene is the inclusion of his versions of some of his personal favorite classics throughout the years. The vocal anthems “Silence” and “Need To Feel Loved” have always been among Roman’s most cherished trance works, and although the producer was initially hesitant to rework them fearing that he wouldn’t be able to do them justice, the end results proved very popular with the trance crowd, ending up being some of his most in-demand tracks lately. A self-admitted bold experiment – complete with a fully solo open-to-close club night to celebrate its launch, which isn’t done all that often in trance music these days – and a heartfelt love letter to the genre that shaped Roman’s own tastes and his music career. Full of sonic adventures through the landscape of modern uplifting trance from start to finish, ‘For All Time’ is intended to, you guessed it, stand the test of time and remain one of the centerpieces of Roman’s discography for years to come. The post Roman Messer honors uplifting trance with heartfelt album ‘For All Time’ appeared first on EDMTunes.

Titus1 and Roger Raw teamed up for a groovy and emotional new release titled ‘Ground’ on Deeper Harmonies label. This collaboration from two highly respected and talented acts takes us on an emotional, uplifting and introspective journey. Inspired by the contrast between melodic techno and progressive house, this track from Titus1 is another example of his genre-crossing, versatile nature. The Canadian DJ and producer uses his experience and knowledge to create a musical experience that showcases his musical prowess and keeps us coming back for more. The track has a warm, analog feel with layered synths, lush pads, and a rolling bass line that creates movement and depth throughout the song. The percussion is tight and minimal, allowing space for the melodies to breathe, while subtle leads add an organic touch. Overall, the track blends deep, emotive melodies with a driving yet atmospheric groove. It’s a standout with its evolving synth layers, cinematic breakdowns, and a crisp, punchy low end that keeps the energy flowing. Tension builds and resolves in this emotional sonic voyage that keeps listeners hypnotized and engaged. Be sure to check out ‘Ground’ for yourself, out everywhere now! The post Titus1 and Roger Raw Release Ethereal ‘Ground’ appeared first on EDMTunes.

Billy McFarland and the organizers of the controversial Fyre Festival have postponed a planned sequel to the infamous 2017 event following disputes with Mexican authorities over its location, according to an email issued to ticket-holders and obtained by EDM.com. Fyre Festival 2 will no longer take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, as previously announced. The organizers claim they have been "blindsided" by local government officials who allegedly first supported the event before publicly denying any knowledge of it. "When a government takes your money, issues permits, promotes the event, and then pretends it’s never heard of you, that’s not just dishonest—it’s theft," the statement reads. "Due to this, we have decided to move FYRE Festival 2 elsewhere." The statement described a pattern of similar challenges with officials in Isla Mujeres, where the festival was initially planned. After receiving "official government documentation stating full support" in December 2024, organizers said they secured venues and began selling tickets, only to face public disavowal from the same authorities. When approached by the government of Playa del Carmen with what they called "a proposal we couldn't refuse," Fyre organizers relocated the event there. According to their statement, they obtained and paid for various permits, participated in a joint press conference with various partners and received public support through government social media accounts before facing another denial. "Then, days later, and after international media coverage, the same government publicly denied any awareness of FYRE Festival 2," they wrote in today's email. "You can't make this stuff up." McFarland in 2018 entered a guilty plea for fraud for his role organizing the original Fyre Festival, a botched event that devolved into chaos on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma. He was released from prison in 2022 after serving four years for wire fraud. The team behind Fyre Festival 2 insists the event "is still on" and are currently "vetting new locations." They have not announced new dates or refund policies at press time.

From poolside grooves to late-night sets, EDX has been a staple of Miami Music Week for years—and 2025 is no exception. We caught up with the Swiss DJ and producer during the chaos of MMW to chat about his longevity in the scene, his evolving sound, and what fans can expect next: Let’s jump right into it and start with Sirup, it’s been 25 years now? EDX: Yeah, it’s crazy. We are into our 25th year now and there’s a ton of excitement. A very emotional one too; it brings back so many memories from over the years. From the evolution of my music to everyone I’ve worked with, there’s so much history to unpack, and I’m happy to be celebrating it all. As we look to the future for Sirup and your own music career, what’s next? New music is coming, of course, along with collaborations and a summer tour. I am always trying to think of ways to evolve my own music and energy to keep my sound fresh. Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming collabs? I recorded a track with Jess Ball again, which will be released soon. There might also be collaborations with my group, Helvetic Nerds. Lots of things to look out for. Let’s get into the fun questions now – is there an artist or group that you would love to do a collab with? There are a lot of bands out there, so many great ones that it is hard to choose. But, I think every artist dreams of doing a collaboration with a band like Coldplay – so I would have to pick them. If I were to hand you the aux cord right now, what song would you put on? I would probably play my new song, “Cobalt,” because I’m really in love with it. It’s a great song for the dancefloor. Connect with EDX: Instagram Facebook TikTok Spotify X

Mary Droppinz channels the chaos of Fortnite into something physical, filthy, and undeniably filthy in her new single, "Drop In." A sub-heavy salute to the iconic game, "Drop In" succeeds where many crossover attempts fail, speaking authentically to both gaming enthusiasts and bass music aficionados without pandering to either. The result is both accessible and uncompromising, precisely what makes Droppinz one to watch. Out now under Zeds Dead's Deadbeats banner, "Drop In" is a nasty, expertly carved slab of deep dubstep that doubles as a nod to gamer culture. What elevates the track beyond mere gamer fan service, however, is her DIY approach to sound design. Droppinz, a producer's producer, melds Apache drum loops and Think breaks to create a rhythmic backbone and even samples the pang of her own glass water bottle. The track's highlight is its wonky bassline, which provides the gravitational pull around which Droppinz's vocals and samples orbit. Her own vocals purr the titular command, but it's the drop's woozy low end that brings it into banger territory, wobbling like heat off asphalt. You can listen to "Drop In" below and find the new single on streaming platforms here. Follow Mary Droppinz:X: x.com/marydroppinz Instagram: instagram.com/dirtybirdrecords TikTok: tiktok.com/@marydroppinz Facebook: facebook.com/marydroppinz Spotify: spoti.fi/3fOxIJB

Coachella is widely recognized as one of the world’s most iconic music festivals, bringing together top artists, cutting-edge fashion, and unforgettable desert vibes over two action-packed weekends. Weekend one often grabs the spotlight with influencer presence, early buzz, and surprise moments. But for those heading to weekend two, there’s a strong case to be made that the second round might just be the better experience. Let’s dive into why weekend two might actually be the best choice for you. 1. Artists Are More Dialed In By weekend two, performers have shaken off the nerves, worked out the kinks, and often level up their sets. More confidence, tighter transitions, better crowd control. The test run is complete, and now artists are ready to really deliver. 2. Surprise Guests Still Appear ( Sometimes More) Weekend two may not advertise as many special guests, but artists often bring out surprise guests to switch it up and keep things exciting. Plus, some artists love to one-up themselves and make Weekend two feel like a gift for their die-hard fans. 3. Less Influencers, More Energy Weekend one is influencer central. Weekend two? Real fans. It’s less about photo-ops and more about the vibes. You’ll actually see more people dancing, and less posing for social media obligations. You get the people who are actually there to experience the festival—not just content farm it. 4. Smoother Logistics Traffic, camping, and food lines tend to be less hectic during Weekend two. The staff and vendors have had a full run-through already, so everything just flows better. You can also choose which art installations interest you, saving time. It feels like a more polished and smoother experience all around. 5. You Already Know the Setlists You can watch Weekend one and walk in fully prepped, knowing the best crowd spots, which artists you want to see, and any special moments. It’s like getting the answers to the test before you take it. Even then, artists will still make small changes, leaving you with awesome mid-set Easter eggs. 6. FOMO Turns Into Anticipation While others are packing up dusty boots, you’re still gearing up for your weekend. That buildup? Inevitable. That payoff? So worth it. Plus, when the last song plays at the end of the festival, knowing that you were part of those final closing moments feels really special. You’re not behind by attending Weekend two—you’re just getting ready for the best experience possible. Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival will return to Indio, California, for its second weekend this April 18-20. For more information or to purchase weekend two tickets, visit coachella.com. All images courtesy: Coachella. The post 6 Reasons Why Coachella Weekend 2 Is The Better Choice appeared first on EDM Maniac. View the full article

Coachella is widely recognized as one of the world’s most iconic music festivals, bringing together top artists, cutting-edge fashion, and unforgettable desert vibes over two action-packed weekends. Weekend one often grabs the spotlight with influencer presence, early buzz, and surprise moments. But for those heading to weekend two, there’s a strong case to be made that the second round might just be the better experience. Let’s dive into why weekend two might actually be the best choice for you. 1. Artists Are More Dialed In By weekend two, performers have shaken off the nerves, worked out the kinks, and often level up their sets. More confidence, tighter transitions, better crowd control. The test run is complete, and now artists are ready to really deliver. 2. Surprise Guests Still Appear ( Sometimes More) Weekend two may not advertise as many special guests, but artists often bring out surprise guests to switch it up and keep things exciting. Plus, some artists love to one-up themselves and make Weekend two feel like a gift for their die-hard fans. 3. Less Influencers, More Energy Weekend one is influencer central. Weekend two? Real fans. It’s less about photo-ops and more about the vibes. You’ll actually see more people dancing, and less posing for social media obligations. You get the people who are actually there to experience the festival—not just content farm it. 4. Smoother Logistics Traffic, camping, and food lines tend to be less hectic during Weekend two. The staff and vendors have had a full run-through already, so everything just flows better. You can also choose which art installations interest you, saving time. It feels like a more polished and smoother experience all around. 5. You Already Know the Setlists You can watch Weekend one and walk in fully prepped, knowing the best crowd spots, which artists you want to see, and any special moments. It’s like getting the answers to the test before you take it. Even then, artists will still make small changes, leaving you with awesome mid-set Easter eggs. 6. FOMO Turns Into Anticipation While others are packing up dusty boots, you’re still gearing up for your weekend. That buildup? Inevitable. That payoff? So worth it. Plus, when the last song plays at the end of the festival, knowing that you were part of those final closing moments feels really special. You’re not behind by attending Weekend two—you’re just getting ready for the best experience possible. Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival will return to Indio, California, for its second weekend this April 18-20. For more information or to purchase weekend two tickets, visit coachella.com. All images courtesy: Coachella. The post 6 Reasons Why Coachella Weekend 2 Is The Better Choice appeared first on EDM Maniac. View the full article

Photo Credit: Post Malone’s set at Bonnaroo 2024 by Taylor Regulski Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival announces the complete schedule for this year’s edition, kicking off June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee. A timeline peek at this year’s lineup is also included. Bonnaroo 2025 will boast an assortment of highlights over its four unforgettable nights. Spanning multiple main stage performances on Thursday, June 12 — including a headline set by Luke Combs, Bonnaroo’s first country headliner, three completely unique sets across various stages from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, an array of appearances by John Summit, and Bonnaroo’s world famous SuperJam — and many more spectacular performances. This year’s headliners include Luke Combs, Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hozier. Other acts will include GloRilla, Vampire Weekend, Treaty Oak Revival, Grace Bowers, ATLiens, Remi Wolf, Tyla, Modest Mouse, Avril Lavigne, RAYE, RL Grime, Saxsquatch, Foster the People, Marcus King, Rebecca Black, and many more. The upcoming festival will also feature more opportunities to dance the night away than ever before, with a star-studded After Hours lineup featuring Dom Dolla, Glass Animals, Justice, Insane Clown Posse, Megadeth, Arcade Fire Presents “Santa Pirata,” JPEGMAFIA, and an epic sunrise set from Gorgon City. There will also be pop-up parties, surprises, and shenanigans — including the hugely popular Frick Frack Blackjack and the Super Queer Ultra Gay Pride Party, presented by House of Yes with Boyyyish. This year will also see the debut of the Infinity Stage, a new one-of-a-kind venue, presented in partnership with Polygon Live — boasting spatial sound, synchronized lights, and an unprecedented three-dome, open-air design to create the world’s largest, most immersive, 360 degree spatial audio experience. One-day and four-day general admission, GA+, VIP, Platinum, and Roo Insider tickets remain available, but most ticket types are trending to sell out in advance of the festival. Layaway Plans starting at 50% down are still available while supplies last. Tickets start at $169 for a single day pass and range up to $26,000 for four-day ‘Roo Insider’ passes. Bonnaroo 2025 Full Schedule Photo Credit: Bonnaroo Photo Credit: Bonnaroo Photo Credit: Bonnaroo Photo Credit: Bonnaroo View the full article

Photo Credit: Kodak Black by David Cabrera for Atlantic Records For the second month in a row, Kodak Black has paid rent for over 200 residents at a Florida housing project. While he may not be looking for publicity for it, rapper Kodak Black has paid rent for more than 200 residents at Florida’s Golden Acres housing project. This is the second month in a row he has done so. The news was revealed by a man who seems to either be a resident of or a staff member at Golden Acres. “He may not want the limelight, but for the 2nd month straight @KodakBlack has paid the rent for over 200 residents in Golden Acres, the entire projects!” the post reads. “A lot of people shine light on the negativity. I’ma see how many people share the positive things you do fam. You’re a blessing to a lot of people. Thank you!!” This isn’t the first time Kodak Black has felt exceptionally charitable. In 2022, he covered the outstanding rent of 28 families in his native Pompano Beach who were about to be evicted, and paid their rent for several months. The year before that, he donated 100 air conditioners to several Pompano Beach residents. Also in 2021, he was recognized by the City of Margate for his donation of $20,000 to the daughter of a South Florida police officer who died from complications related to COVID-19. City officials made the announcement during the grand opening of its new sporting complex. “Some of you may know him as a celebrity, but this is an act of charity,” said board member Arlene R. Schwartz, who presented Black with a certificate of recognition for his act of service. Further, the rapper has donated money to the children of two FBI agents who were killed on the job. “You know, at the end of the day, we’re all we got,” he said. “This ain’t nothing to do with politics, or white, Black, rich or poor. It’s up to us to help each other in the best way we can.” Kodak Black said in 2023 that he wants to be known as a philanthropist rather than a gangster. “I only worry about being a good son and making sure my mom is proud of me. Making sure my family proud of me.” While the rapper is all too happy to be seen as a philanthropist, his donations becoming public knowledge could attract some of the wrong attention. Drake, who is known for making generous donations to fans, was besieged during his recent shows in Australia by fans asking for financial aid. View the full article

DJ Mag’s annual Top 100 Festivals 2025 Voting is now open. You can cast your vote here. Voting closes on May 28th, so make sure to give your favorite festival a vote before it’s too late. The results are set to be announced on June 18th via a countdown across DJ Mag’s social media channels. Now entering its fifth year, DJ Mag’s Top 100 Festivals is the definitive guide to the world’s best events, ranked entirely by votes from DJ Mag’s global audience. There was a record number of votes last year. North America was the continent that submitted the most votes, followed by Europe, Asia, South America, Oceania, and Africa. In terms of countries, the USA recorded the most votes in 2024, followed by the UK, India, Thailand, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Romania, China, and Belgium. Tomorrowland came on top for the fourth time and third consecutive year in the 2024 voting. The impressive run by the Belgium Festival is a testament to their dedication in the festival landscape. EDC Las Vegas came in 2nd, and Untold Festival in Romania came in 3rd. Ultra Miami came in 4th, and rounding out the top 5 was Creamfields in the UK. The United States had the most festivals of any country in the top 10, with Coachella also joining the list. We are excited to see which music festival comes out on top this year and who will enter the top 100 for the first time. The post DJ Mag Top 100 Festivals 2025 Voting is Now Open appeared first on EDMTunes.

Tomorrowland's influence is swelling far beyond electronic dance music as the legendary Belgian festival steps into the world of interior design with the launch of MORPHO, a luxury furniture collection. The collection is the brainchild of Tomorrowland's newest creative venture, Great Library Design Studio. The launch marks a major evolution for the brand, expanding its immersive world-building ethos beyond music festivals and into people's living spaces. With MORPHO, Tomorrowland brings its signature whimsical storytelling to life through nature-inspired furniture, lighting and décor. The collection leans heavily into organic forms, earth tones and a bespoke design philosophy with a mission to capture the same sense of wonder and escapism that has defined the festival's onsite experience for 20 years. Dragonflies served as Tomorrowland's "main source of inspiration," according to a press release. The MORPHO bar stool incorporates the shape of the insect's wings, and the motif can also can be found in the metal detailing of the collection's sunbed as well as the embroidery on the leather back of the lounge chair. The goal is simple: to turn the ephemeral magic of the festival into something tangible and lasting within both interior and exterior spaces. Great Library Design Studio worked alongside specialized craftsmen, factories and workshops to ensure every piece in the collection feels intentional and transportive. Tomorrowland's primary collaborators are a trio of esteemed Belgian design brands: Ethnicraft, Atelier Vierkant and RVB. Inspired by Art Nouveau, they pulled inspiration from legendary architects such as Victor Horta and Antoní Gaudí. The Art Nouveau-inspired MORPHO line is available now. You can shop the collection here. Follow Tomorrowland:X: x.com/tomorrowland TikTok: tiktok.com/@tomorrowland Instagram: instagram.com/tomorrowland Facebook: facebook.com/tomorrowland

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is exploring the idea of introducing a 24-hour nightlife experience to the city by bringing in E11EVEN, Miami’s renowned ultraclub. During a recent appearance on the Flagrant podcast hosted by Andrew Schulz and Akaash Singh, Adams mentioned, “We need an E11EVEN in New York.” He further revealed, “I spoke to some folks. We may be rolling it out in New York.” ​ E11EVEN Miami, located in downtown Miami, is celebrated for its continuous 24/7 operations, offering a blend of nightclub energy, live performances, and upscale amenities. The club has hosted performances by artists like Cardi B, 50 Cent, and G-Eazy, and has attracted celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Kendall Jenner, and Post Malone. ​ Co-founder Dennis DeGori, a native New Yorker, expressed enthusiasm about the potential expansion, stating, “As a native New Yorker, I’ve always imagined the Big Apple as the perfect second home. While we have yet to identify the right location and conditions, we appreciate the support and enthusiasm from Mayor Adams and Andrew Schulz.” Currently, New York City’s regulations require bars and clubs to cease alcohol service by 4 a.m., with establishments permitted to reopen at 8 a.m. (10 a.m. on Sundays). Introducing a 24-hour venue like E11EVEN would necessitate changes to existing laws and could significantly impact the city’s nightlife landscape.​ For those interested in hearing Mayor Adams discuss this initiative, the full podcast episode is available here: The post Mayor Eric Adams Wants to Bring Miami’s 24-Hour Club E11EVEN to NYC appeared first on EDMTunes.

Today, Interscope Records, Pophouse, and the Avicii Estate are proud to announce the upcoming release of AVICII FOREVER, a compilation featuring 19 essential tracks from Avicii’s iconic catalog, along with the brand-new single “Let’s Ride Away” featuring Elle King. Listen to a teaser clip here. This special release honors the lasting impact and influence of Tim Bergling, better known to the world as Avicii. With beloved hits like “Wake Me Up,” “Levels,” “Heart Upon My Sleeve” (feat. Imagine Dragons), and more, AVICII FOREVER captures the spirit and sound that made Avicii a global phenomenon. The compilation also introduces “Let’s Ride Away”, a long-awaited new track that showcases Avicii’s genre-defying sound, blending folk and electronic elements with powerful vocals by Elle King. AVICII FOREVER will be available across all major streaming platforms, in physical formats and through exclusive content on Avicii’s official social channels on May 16 and is available now for pre-order here. Tracklist Wake Me Up Levels Let’s Ride Away (feat. Elle King) (NEW SONG) The Nights Waiting For Love Without You (feat. Sandro Cavazza) SOS (feat. Aloe Blacc) Hey Brother Lonely Together (feat. Rita Ora) I Could Be the One [Avicii vs Nicky Romero] Silhouettes Fade Into Darkness You Make Me The Days For A Better Day Addicted To You Friend of Mine (feat. Vargas & Lagola) Broken Arrows Heart Upon My Sleeve (feat. Imagine Dragons) Heaven The post AVICII Forever Best Of Compilation Coming With New Track Next Month appeared first on EDMTunes.